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A Lydian dominantScale

Open A Lydian dominant in the scale libraryDownload the A Lydian dominant chart (PDF)

Formula

W W W H W H W 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7
The family

A Lydian dominant on the chromatic circle

A Lydian dominant is the 4th mode of the Melodic minor family. Pick another note on the circle to open the scale that starts there.

W H W W W W H 5 EI Melodic minor 6 F♯II Dorian ♭2 ♭7 GIII Lydian augmented 1 AIV Lydian dominant 2 BV Mixolydian ♭6 3 C♯VI Locrian ♮2 ♯4 D♯VII Altered A Lydian dominant
The whole neck

A Lydian dominant across the fretboard

Every note of the scale up to the 16th fret, named by its degree. The root is a ring. Step through the five CAGED positions one at a time in the scale library.

3 5 7 9 12 15 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 ♭7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7
Harmony

Chords in A Lydian dominant

Stack every other note of the scale from each degree and you get its chords. Open any of them in the chord library.

DegreeChordNotes
IA7A C♯ E G
IIB7B D♯ F♯ A
iii°C♯m7♭5C♯ E G B
♯iv°D♯m7♭5D♯ F♯ A C♯
vEm(maj7)E G B D♯
viF♯m7F♯ A C♯ E
♭VII+Gmaj7♯5G B D♯ F♯
Context

Where A Lydian dominant fits

Over dominant 7 chords that do not resolve down a fifth: 7♯11 chords, the ♭VII7 and tritone substitutes in jazz. Also heard in fusion and film music.

A Lydian dominant is mode 4 of the melodic minor family. The same notes played from each of its other degrees give the family's other modes:

Move one note by a half step and you get a different scale:

Lydian dominant scale in every key

A Lydian dominant scale questions

What notes are in the A Lydian dominant scale?

A B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G. As degrees from the root: 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7.

What is the A Lydian dominant scale formula?

1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7, or in steps between the notes, W W W H W H W (W is a whole step of two frets, H a half step of one fret, 1½ three frets).

How do you play the A Lydian dominant scale on guitar?

This page draws every note of A Lydian dominant up to the 16th fret, each named by its degree with the root as a ring. To learn it a few frets at a time, open it in the scale library and step through its five CAGED positions, from the G shape to the E shape to the D shape to the C shape to the A shape.

What chords are in the A Lydian dominant scale?

A7 (I), B7 (II), C♯m7♭5 (iii°), D♯m7♭5 (♯iv°), Em(maj7) (v), F♯m7 (vi), Gmaj7♯5 (♭VII+).

When is the A Lydian dominant scale used?

Over dominant 7 chords that do not resolve down a fifth: 7♯11 chords, the ♭VII7 and tritone substitutes in jazz. Also heard in fusion and film music.